Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Position Increased by Allen Capital Group LLC

Allen Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 627.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,322 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 7,178 shares during the quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $8,292,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 750.0% in the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.2%

NASDAQ:COST opened at $951.89 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $422.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.88, a P/E/G ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 0.88. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $955.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $982.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 1.07. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52 week low of $844.06 and a 52 week high of $1,096.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The retailer reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.94 by ($0.01). Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 3.01% and a return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $70.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $70.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.28 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 20.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 885 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $957.45, for a total value of $847,343.25. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,575,653.55. This trade represents a 15.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Costco Wholesale

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial publications continue to highlight Costco’s strong momentum, durable membership model, consistent profit growth and long-term shareholder returns. One analysis suggests the retailer could eventually pursue trillion-dollar-company status if it sustains warehouse expansion, membership growth and operating execution. Why Costco Is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s reported experiment with expanding or changing gasoline sales could create another source of traffic, member engagement and revenue over time, although the financial impact remains uncertain. Costco Gasoline Sales Experiment
• Positive Sentiment: New product partnerships and continued customer interest—including expanded beverage distribution and popular food offerings—reinforce Costco’s ability to attract shoppers and support sales, though these developments are not expected to materially change near-term earnings. Coco5 Costco Partnership

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on COST. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $1,000.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $1,125.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, May 29th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,059.07.

About Costco Wholesale

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company's product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco's business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.